New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-27
A FRENCH AMERICAN NOVEL
Nfv ENGLAND IN GALLO FICTION

sesulted among sther things, in the writing OF an
American story, which has just been pnblshed
onder the title of sFrankey" that being. as every
one knows, quite typical Yankee name Of course
Tho novel Is vehicle for the impressions which life
IN the United States produced upon the author.
She opens the story with the arrival OF trans
atlantic steamer at her dock in NeW-fork, bearing
among her passengers the hero, Horace Frankley
youpp man who has been several years in Paris and
is reysiting his native land with almost the feel
incs of foreigner. On reaching the wharf he ia
bewidered by the absence of all courtesy and AZ
tention. Evidently he did not make lis way far
enough inland to fall into the an bush OF yelilng
hack,nen which generally impes the new arriVaI 10
wish that somewhat less attention were paiu 10
him. Horace must also have encountered peculiar
kind of express company for after receiving POSI-
tive assurance that his trunks shall be AT TIC rail-
vav station In time for a certain Boston train, ne
waits there for them until he loses his train, and
finally discovers that it is useless to expect their
delivery before midnight. So he goes to the Fifth
Avenue Hotel and dimes and has leisure to remark
the baugh.v GOODNESS ci the beautiful American
women his compatriots, and TO be surprised at the
trster mode of their life. and at the high price
they'pay to be so dreadfully bored. Retiring to
his room he rings for ice-water. and when 1t is
brought finds that there is no table i'll his room,
so he puts the pitcher on the floor, and promptly
forgets its presence and kicks it over.
Then he goes to Boston. passing on the way
numbers of villages. the aspect of which is neat and
correct but wthal dreary and void of the pctu-
resque He thinks the people who live in these vii
lagos must be extremely good and must tire one
another very much. There is little attempt to
describe Boston. Frankley there meets his old
friend, John May, and they fraternize John 10
painter hitherto unsuccessful. and Horace Is an
architect without business. John obtains Tor Els
friend a potboilur" in the shape OF an engagement
to Give lessons in architecture to a Boston belle,
Miss Katie Motter dar shter of one OF those Amerl
can milonaires WHO are up one day and down the
next Katie Motter is authors conception OF one
American type. She is cold. clever and desperate
though peculiar firt. She knows everything and
surveys existence by the dry light of intellect.
while entangling all the young men who hover
round her in hopeless and inextricable tolls. Her
manners of course are remarkable. She gives an
example of them at an evening party. when she
compels Horace Frankley Ito whom she has become
engaged privately, after jilting his frleld John
May) to hold plate of lobster salad with both
hands in front of her while she calmly consumes
the salad The foil TO Katie Motter is Ella Bright,
the fragile but amiaSle daughter of Harvard pro-
fessor This young lady paints tea-cnps
admirably = to increase the family income,
the professor having been disabled by
tons and one of those dreadful American specula-
tons having swept away all his private fortune.
Ella falls in love with Horace almost at once,
but he does not see it. being fascinated by the
worldly and capIcious Katie Motter, whose en-
chantments are wonderful seeing that she IS rs gen
orally dsagreeable and ili-ored young person as
may lie met with in contemporary fiction.
Horace would be in bad way did he not meet
Mistress Alcott a rich widow who determines on
building an orphan asylum inst to give him an
opening. and who gives him fat and welcome re-
tanning fees after the profuse American manner.
Mistress Alcott how ever is delicate and her doctor
orders her to Florida. so that the orphan asylum
hangs suspended in space and lioraces prospects
darken again. To solace himself he buys rail-
way ticket for Salem ard HES there to visit an old
friend Salem is described. One is introduced TO
its venerable streets where dome may still see
houses bnilt to defend their occupants against the
attacks of the Sioux" But the Sioux. it appears,
are no longer feared at Salem. and to-day pots OF
geraniums peacefully adorn the windows whence
formerly so many deadly volleys were fired. THIS
naturally is the kind of thing thinks of first on
entering Salem Horace, however, was not looking
for Sioux, but for remarkable woman, no other
than Mistress Cobberd Now the career of this
elderly female had been a singular ore. SEe be-
longed to that peculiar class OF women. found no
themselves TO the great DIRK of furtheIing cyiza-
ton by proclaming not only the absolute equality
of the sexes but :he superiority of the feminine.
1t is hardly necessary say that these pioneers in
noble cause took their lives in their hands, SD to
speak. Following the march OF settlement IN the
unexpored wilds of New-Eugland, going from
hamlet to hamlet often obliged to lecture in barns
or in the open air when the weather permitted
it, they were prepared for all manner of hardships
and peris The rough and untutored male Ameri-
cans frequently nsultel them. They were liable to
be pelted hcoted, mObbed and were fortunate to
escape lynching so stubborn was the prejudice
against womens rights. Mistress Cobberd had been
through all these trials Her courage once enabled
her to arrest the arm of a brutal American who
beating his wife the public street, and though
tie passers-5y at first showed a disposition to up
hold the martal discipline. her eloauence soon
melted them. and they testified their contriton by
going TO hear her in n barn. Clearly she was
markable " oman. and well fitted TO give advice on
any subject
Katie Motter soon tired of Horace aud presently
gave him the ntten and proceeded to re-fascinate
the discarded John May, who in his state of subjec-
tion behaves very badly to his DO on friend Horace
Mr.. Motter, the millionaire, having disonbarrassed
himself of his millions after the curious American
fashion. Katie suddenly marries John; whereupon
Horace promptly turns white rs to his hair and
falls into a brain fever, through and ont Of which
he is nursed by Ella Bright The friendship be-
tween Ella and Horace has been ripencd princ-
pally at funerals their meetings occurring for the
most part at those cheerful reunions. Ella is
meant for an American ingeau, and it is a curious
creature evidently. When her father dies Horace
pays her a morning call at q. III, wherenpon she
filings a wrapper over her nightgown, descends to
meet him. and is so touched by his friendship that
she coapses in his arms The young American
girl however, ha, greatly perplexel Henry Grevlle.
whose various tentatives at evolution in that line
are obviously advanced in dnbiety and apprehen-
sion.
Horace has made his reputation as an architect
by undertaking to lit massive stone building